Battleship Challenge
Classic Battleship on paper, where every hit earns a truth or a small dare.
What it's for: A strategic couples game with playful stakes.
Not in the app any more. Battleship Challenge was part of an earlier version of Midnight. These rules work tonight with paper and a pen. The games in Midnight today: Would You Rather, Who's More Likely To, Red Flag / Green Flag, Blind Compatibility.
How to play Battleship Challenge
- Each of you draws two 10×10 grids: one for your fleet, one to track your shots.
- Place five ships in secret: 5, 4, 3, 3 and 2 squares long.
- Take turns calling a square such as B7. Every hit you land lets you ask a question or set a small dare from a list you wrote together before the game.
- First to sink the whole fleet wins; the loser plans the next date night.
When to play it
Great for long-distance couples who need low-stakes async play, and date nights when you want something competitive that doesn't turn into a fight over Monopoly.
Who it's good for
Long-distance couples Playful couples Couples new to gaming together
Sample prompts and questions
Prompts to start with. Add your own before you play; the best lists are the ones you write together.
- Tell me one thing that surprised you about me this week
- Send a voice note singing our song
- Confess your weirdest childhood habit
- Describe our first date in 5 words
- Send a selfie from an unexpected angle
- Share a memory you've never told me
- Give me a compliment you've been saving
- Admit something you almost said yesterday
- Tell me one thing you want more of
- Describe me in three emoji
How to get more out of Battleship Challenge
Agree on a turn rhythm before you start
Because turns can sit for hours, the game only stays fun if you both know roughly when to expect a move. One turn each morning and one each evening works well across time zones.
Write the dare list together
Agree the questions and dares before the first shot. A list that one partner wrote alone is the fastest way to make the other stop playing.
Play the prompts, not the grid
Sinking the fleet takes a while. The stories that come out of the hit prompts are the reason to play, so answer them properly rather than racing to the next coordinate.
The mistake most couples make
Long-distance couples often abandon a game halfway because one partner drifts out of the turn rhythm and the board sits untouched for a week. If that happens, start a fresh board rather than trying to remember where you were.
Frequently asked questions
Is Battleship Challenge in the Midnight app?
Battleship Challenge was part of an earlier version of Midnight and was retired in Midnight 5, which focuses on four games made for two: Would You Rather, Who's More Likely To, Red Flag, Green Flag and Blind Compatibility. The rules on this page work tonight with paper and a pen.
How long does a match take?
Thirty to forty-five minutes in one sitting. Played one shot at a time over text, a board lasts a few days.
Does it work while we're apart?
Yes. Keep your own grids and send one coordinate per message; answer hit or miss honestly.
Read more on this
Start Midnight free
One question a day, sealed until you both answer. Raise Lumi the moon together, play four games made for two and save 18 date ideas. Free to start on iPhone and iPad.
Download on App StoreGames in the Midnight app
Would You Rather
Impossible choices, revealing answers. You both pick in secret, then flip your answers together.
Who's More Likely To
Point the finger, lovingly. Each of you votes me or you in secret, then see if you agree.
Red Flag / Green Flag
Judge the cards, compare your verdicts. Find out which habits you both call a red flag.